Threads of fate
by xXSakura-Hime-SamaXx
Summary: All young Haruno Sakura wanted was a friend, someone to laugh and have fun with. Kami herd her call, sending her the strangest person she had ever seen, with red and green eyes. Too bad he was obsessed with money…


_**A challenge my friend Stephanie gave me the other day~ I hope this fits your criteria or I know you're going to make me do it again… ^_^' this is the second time already…**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**_

_**I hope you like it so far, coz I'm still getting the courage up to do another chapter of paradise…and I know it's taking forever….im sorry!**_

_**This is a one-shot for now.**_

_**ON WITH THE STORY!**_

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Giggling and continuing to spin around, little Sakura Haruno watched the blurring flower meadow pass around her in a swirl of bright pinks and yellow. This was her secret place, just for her, where no other children could find and tease her. Her short pink hair trailed behind her as she held her arms out and dropped back to the soft grass covered ground, haloing her smiling face and making the little 6 year old look as innocent as her eyes portrayed. Gazing up to the clear blue sky, Sakura closed her bright green eyes and basked in the suns warming rays while waiting for her head to stop spinning.

Re-opening her eyes, blinked a few times and turned her head to the side, sniffing one of the stray flowers that lay near her head. _'I wish I had someone to share this with'_ she thought as her bright mood dulled slightly. Raising her hand she gently laid it on her hairline, wincing slightly as a throb of pain flared once more.

Earlier that day on her mother's orders, little Sakura had gone to the park to try and make a friend. Her mother hated the fact that her daughter was always alone, pushing her to make friends and open up despite the fact that every time she did, she came home with tears in her eyes and a new bruise or two. Sakura had gone to the park and secluded herself on the swing, watching the other children as they played with each other, laughing and smiling and having fun. But poor Sakura had forgotten to check for Ami and her little gang- resulting in the darkening bruise. Ami had snuck up behind her and pushed her of the swing, face first into a nearby stone. Sakura knew she was lucky to get away with just one bruise, it could have been much worse if she hadn't run away. She wasn't ashamed of her decision, it gave her time to slip out of the gates and visit her special place.

Pulling her hand away from the dark patch, Sakura let out a large breath and turned back to the sky, closing her eyes once more and letting her smile filter back. _'I'll find a friend one day.'_ She silently told herself, a warm feeling filling her chest as images of her and a faceless figure filled her mind. Playing, having fun, laughing and smiling as they played in her meadow until the sun went down.

As the afternoon sun belted down on the pinkette, she hummed a wordless tune to herself and plucked a small flower as her hand touched it. Bringing it to her nose she opened her eyes again and smelled its small pink pestles, wrinkling her nose in delight as the smell assaulted her.

Sweet and calming

Letting out a delighted sound little Sakura sat up and crossed her legs, spinning the flower around in her hand. Still smiling down at it she missed the sudden movement in the forest to her left, the two cloaked figures making their way down the road a little off from her clearing at a slow pace.

"Oi shit head; you're such a stingy bastard! Why the fuck can't we just stay in a damn inn for the night!" a harsh voice assaulted her ears, the vulgar words grating and making her whip to the side, stumbling into a standing position as she watched the figures come closer, neither noticing the small pinkette watching from her somewhat hidden position. They were two of the oddest looking people Sakura had ever seen, but she had a distant cousin from mist that looked weirder (not that she'd ever tell her mother that…).

"Shut up Hidan. I'm not paying for a room, they all cost too much." The second figure grated out from under his mask, never turning his gaze from the road in front of them. The white haired one looked like he was angry, huffing and grumbling to himself as he adjusted the giant weapon on his back.

"Fuck you Kakuzu!"

'_Who are they?'_ she thought, watching them draw even closer to her position. Registering what the mask wearing man had said, little Sakura tilted her head to the side and gazed at the men sadly before a determined glint made its way to her eyes. Moving out from the trees just as they passed her, she darted over to the mask wearing one, Kakuzu, and grabbed the back of his strange cloak.

The man had swung around before she even realized what was happening, a kunai was held an inch from her face as he gazed at her coldly, relaxing slightly at the sight of her. 'Wow' was the only thing passing through her mind as she looked curiously up at him, awe taking over her eyes.

"Geez you're fast mister!" Sakura exclaimed as she blinked rapidly.

"Shit, where the fuck did you come from!" the white haired man, Hidan, exclaimed as he lowered his hand from the weapon on his back. Realization came to Sakura's face as she looked down slightly in shame, a frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you- I'm not supposed to do that anymore…" she trailed of slightly as Kakuzu straightened up, his kunai disappearing from sight.

"What do you want little girl." he bit out, startling Sakura slightly with the venom in his voice. Brightening up again little Sakura quickly reached into her pants pocket and dug around, not noticing the two men tense up. Pulling out her hand, she grabbed his before he could object and let the coins drop into his calloused palm, smiling all the while up at them.

"I heard you say you didn't have enough money for a room, so you can have this…I hope it helps!" she cheered, her grin nearly splitting her face in two. Both of the men gazed at the change she had given them until the white haired man gave a scoff and looked down at her tauntingly.

"Like that's going to change the fucker's mind- fuck off you little shit head; I haven't got time to deal with you." Looking up at him angrily Sakura sucked in a large breath and kicked him in the shin, darting off to the side as he cursed at her. She slowly moved back to the other man and feeling something touch her head, she flinched automatically, cringing until she realized it was just Kakuzu's hand as he pet her pink hair a couple of times with an appreciative glint in his eyes._ 'W-What?'_

"Good girl" he praised, almost as if to a puppy that finally learnt a trick. But none of this fazed Sakura as her face lit up, eyes shining as she gazed up at him through her mussed up hair and fringe. She didn't even notice the advancing Hidan until Kakuzu ruffled her hair again and withdrew his hand throwing a kunai over her head lazily as another curse came from behind her.

"Shut up Hidan" he growled out again and turned his attention back to the child in front of him, who was watching Hidan remove the kunai from his neck with a mix of horror and curiosity. "What are you doing out here?" he asked as the pinkette turned her attention back to him when she realized his partner was going to be alright.

"I was in my little meadow playing, and then I heard you talking so I came to see." Sakura explained to the large man with a tilt of her head. "But please don't tell mother I'm here, I was meant to be playing with the other kids" she said with an unconscious wince, raising her hand to her bruise again. Watching as the man's gaze followed her hand she withdrew it with a small frown, but it quickly turned into a look of curiosity as he raised his own hand and lightly touched the now prominent bruise. Flinching slightly at the pain, she moved back a little from his hand, plastering a smile back on her face as she looked at the sky. "I have to go; mother will want me home soon" she said in a sad tone.

Looking back to his face, she watched as an unknown glint came to his eyes before he crouched in front of her, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a wide piece of black thread he quickly tied it in her hair, holding her fringe from her face.

"Hiding is a sign of weakness, and I can't have an ally of mine weak." He said as he stood back up and looked down at her. "The next time they start something, retaliate, show them who's stronger."

Looking up to him curiously, she asked "Ally?...a-a friend?" he replied with a nod.

"Yes, you will be of use to me in the future. When do you begin shinobi training?"

"I-in two years, but I'm not sure if i…" she said unsurely until he laid a hand on her hair once more, ruffling again.

"You shall, and you will be strong. What is your name little girl?" he assured her as his partner watched unbelieving from the side.

"Sakura Haruno mister Kakuzu!" the pinkette responded, never moving her stunned gaze from his red and green eyes.

"Now go home, and don't approach strange ninja you don't know." He said as he nodded to his partner and they disappeared in a puff of smoke, but not before gazing at the pinkette one last time and giving her a semi-friendly wave goodbye.

A smile came to Sakura's face as her eyes glinted with unshed tears. "A-A friend, I have a friend." She told herself, a light feeling coming to her stomach as she started giggling happily and began skipping back to her meadow, the smile not leaving her face for hours afterward.

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"Yo fucker, I didn't know you had a thing for little girls- that's just sick" Hidan taunted his partner as they re-appeared, laughing at the softness the normally brutal man had shown. " I should have brought her with us, at least then you would have gotten an inn room!" he mused to himself quietly as he gazed at his partners reaction.

"I don't." Kakuzu stated with a slight edge to his voice. "But she will be useful in the future, if she could sneak up on us- imagine the information she could gather about my targets. And people would take pity on a pink haired child, the discounts I could get with that alone…" he trailed off as he gazed at the change still clutched in his hand, refusing to answer to his annoying partner anymore.

'_You will be useful in the future little flower, let's just hope you live up to my expectations.'_ He thought to himself as different strategies played across his mind, each involving the little pinkette some way or another. _'I'll give you a few years, if you're not up to my standards… I'll get to that if it happens…'_

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**AAAAnnnnnd end.**

**Well, that was fun, I don't believe I've ever written Kakuzu for so long….huh~ well I hope you like it, I'll leave it as a one-shot for now and expand on it at a later date, when I don't have so much on my plate!**

**Please leave a review, I would love to know what you think, BBBBuuuut- no flames or just telling me what you think is wrong with this **_**FANFICTION!**_


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